Journey to Worlds 2013 : Fundraising

The SA Junior Surf Team, has not received any funding towards our travel to go represent South Africa, at the 2013 ISA World Junior Champs, and so each of us team members has to raise R 30 000 each in order to fund our travel to compete in Nicaragua, Central America.

I'm lucky to have such supportive sponsors who have assisted me, with cash from my main sponsor Lizzy ,which really got the ball rolling as well as my other sponsors (Von Zipper, Nixon and Hurricane) providing me with product for all sorts of fundraising like raffles,auctions and prizes.

Today Nicole Pallet (fellow SA member) and I went to the traffic lights in my home town and did a donation collection, we had banners kindly made by Viv Annells of  Mike Signs, that were a huge help. Everyone was generous emptying out their wallets and curiously asking all sorts of questions.

We managed to raise R 3015.00 and had a great time running up and down, collecting and interacting with the public.

Banners sponsored my the Annell's Family @ Mike Signs

Nicole and I with a bucket of money, such a rad community!

Any body that is interested in assisting with our fundraising can contact us on (+27)83 647 6066 or send an email to chanelle.botha@yahoo.com :)
Chanelle xx

Summer Daze

With winter not too far away, we were lucky to have a perfect summers day today, clean water , waves, no wind and lots of sunshine.

It was the perfect summer day to use my new Sony under water camera I won at the Billabong .
Here are some of the pics of my best friend Courtenay and I :)
enjoy xoxo

Salt Water Girl Magazine

Just got the April/May issue of Salt Water Girl, it was such a nice surprise to see a surfing shot of myself on the contest wrap up page, really great issue with plenty of surfing.
Emma Smith even got the cover, great to see a surfer on the cover.

Plenty other surfer girls inside as well, go grab yourself a copy!

Chanelle xoxo

Billabong Junior Series

2 weeks ago the first event of the junior PST took place at New Pier, the Billabong Junior Series Presented by BOS Ice Tea.

I was competing in the u/18 girls division , the waves were very small and weak , I was very stoked  to win the all my heats including the final of the u/18 division ahead of close friend Nicole Pallet, by winning I was given a wild card into the u/20 girls division .
I had a close call in the u/20 semi finals advancing into the final in the dying seconds and in an inconsistent final i finished 4th, well done to Heidi Palmboom for taking the win.

For the u/18 win I pocketed R5000 , winning my first big cheque :) .


Good to have the junior series back , looking forward to the next one in East London next month .

Interview with Wok after winning the u/18 Girls final.

A little bit about me

I started surfing when I was 7 years old, a few months later, Lizzy a South African surf brand picked me up, and I have enjoyed a good 8 year relationship with them, for which I am really thankful.

About a year after I started surfing I competed in the 2005 SA Grom Games in P.E in the u/8 boys/girls division, which I won, and I guess that was the start of my surfing career, after that for the next couple years I competed for fun in the u/14 or u/16 division, when I was between 9 and 11 years old.

In 2009 I won my second South African title at Nahoon Reef in the u/12 division, after that I surfed in the SA vs Reunion Island Challenge in Durban and I won the u/12 girls division there as well and then rounded the year off with a win in the u/14 division of the Roxy Wahine Cup, all at the age of 12.

In 2010 I won the u/13 Girls SA Junior Title at Long Beach, Kommetjie in Cape Town.

After a successful 2011 at the age of 14 I was selected for the u/18 girls SA Junior team trials, after 2 days and loads of heats I finished 2nd in the trial, and was selected to surf for South Africa in the 2012 ISA DaKine World Junior Champs in Panama.

In the past year I have been lucky enough to get signed by Nixon Watches, Von Zipper eyewear as well as Hurricane surf accessories.

Some highlights in 2012 included

•  Winner u/18 Girls SA vs Reunion Island Friendly International
•  Winner of the SSA Women's Day Surf Challenge in the u/16 girls division
•  Travelling to Bali on a high performance Surf Camp
•  Runner up Hurley SA Junior Champs
•  Winner Lizzard Summer Surf Pro

I was once again selected for the SA Junior Team trials at the end of last year, and won the trial earlier this year to book my slot in the 2013 SA Junior Team , we will travel to Nicaragua in June for the ISA World Juniors.

Here is a link to my short surf film

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSvvI67yv4g

Its going to be a great year.

Chanelle xoxo